Da Xuan Martial Saint

Chen Mu walked up from underground, headed back to the surface, and converged his own aura as he returned towards the direction of the Seven Profound Sect. This time he did not deliberately conceal his form but calmly climbed along the path of Spirit Profound Peak.

When he reached the middle of Spirit Profound Peak,

he heard groups of disciples discussing something.

"...Have you heard? Not long ago, Zuo Qianqiu encountered 'Fire Cloud Ascendant' in Xuan State and, after fighting him for dozens of rounds, actually managed to retreat unscathed. This man, defeated by Brother Chen just a few months ago, has swiftly re-condensed his martial resolve."

"Fire Cloud Ascendant? Wasn't he previously ranked on the Wind Cloud List? It seems he was just squeezed out this term, but he's still comparable to high masters at the lower end of the list, right? Zuo Qianqiu managed to retreat unscathed from such a person? He hasn't stepped into the Six Viscera Realm yet, has he?"

Some disciples revealed expressions of shock.

It should be noted that it has been less than five months since the events at the Yunni Sky Steps, and before Zuo Qianqiu encountered Chen Mu there, he faced someone comparable to Fire Cloud Ascendant, 'Blood Hand' Luo Mo. That was entirely due to the influence of the Mysterious Heavenly Sword Diagram, enduring ten rounds until the Grandmaster of the Heavenly Sword Sect arrived and rescued him.

In just these five months, and after experiencing a crushing defeat against Chen Mu at the Yunni Sky Steps, he had unbelievably quickly regained conviction and even advanced his strength further, managing to retreat unscathed against the likes of Luo Mo and Fire Cloud Ascendant!

Though it's certain he still relied on the Mysterious Heavenly Sword Diagram, one cannot deny the immense talent of Zuo Qianqiu!

"But even if he could retreat unscathed from Fire Cloud Ascendant, comparing him to Brother Chen he still falls short. Brother Chen is already ranked twenty-seventh on the Wind Cloud List, which is even higher than the ousted Fire Cloud Ascendant."

"Yes, but that man's talent is incredibly high, and his progress is too swift. He's almost two years younger than Brother Chen, and in just these five months his strength has risen another level. Who knows, maybe one day he could fight Brother Chen again."

Zhao Yu murmured with a solemn gaze.

The other Spirit Profound Peak disciples also showed worried expressions.

Chen Mu was almost two years older than Zuo Qianqiu, an undeniable fact, but since Chen Mu came from a lower background and started his cultivation late, no one had ever judged him based on his age.

"I heard Brother Chen's Qiankun Artistic Conception has reached Major Achievement, and he's of the age now, already stepping into the Six Viscera Realm. Zuo Qianqiu is younger, probably still two more years away, continuing to strengthen his foundation in the Five Viscera Realm. Who knows what scene it will be when Zuo Qianqiu also steps into the Six Viscera Realm after a few years."

Wang Kang sighed.

While they were discussing, someone suddenly spotted Chen Mu's figure steadily walking up the mountain path. They immediately snapped to attention and signaled quietly to their fellow disciples.

Everyone instantly fell silent, watching as Chen Mu passed by, respectfully saluting him.

"Brother Chen."

"..."

Chen Mu slightly nodded to Wang Kang and other younger disciples, then continued along the mountain path.

Wang Kang and the others had been discussing this for a while, but he had no significant interest in it. Instead, what occupied his mind more was what he had heard a few days ago about the 'turmoil in Ice State.'

About half a month ago, the Heavenly Demon Sect, Heavenly Corpse Sect, and the foreign races from beyond the border suddenly started trouble in Ice State, ambushing masters of the Ice Extreme Palace. It was said that in just over ten days, the Ice Extreme Palace suffered heavy losses, with even a Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster killed!

Now,

the entire Ice State had plunged into a fiery war.

Although the Ice Extreme Palace is a Great Sect, owning the land of the entire Ice State, both the Heavenly Corpse and the Heavenly Demon Sect were not ordinary either, not to mention the foreign tribes, which had always been the mortal enemies of Da Xuan, frequently attacking the border passes and plundering resources, women.

Now, these three forces unexpectedly formed some sort of alliance, jointly causing trouble in Ice State, turning it into a chaotic mess. Meanwhile, the North Garrison Government stationed on the Cold North Path merely verbally reprimanded the foreign tribes, symbolically sending some troops but covertly harboring the idea of sitting by and watching the fight, clearly intending to let the Ice Extreme Palace and the forces of the Heavenly Corpse and Demon Sects wear each other out.

Moreover,

Ice State was the most remote State Government Office, only bordering with Yu State and North State, and having no connections with other state governments, thus sectors like the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion, Heavenly Sword Sect, and others from various states reacted very slowly to the situation.

Only the Seven Profound Sect, because of its adjacency to Ice State, had been somewhat active lately; according to what Chen Mu knew, there seemed to be a great split in opinion within the sect. Some elders thought they should assist the Ice Extreme Palace, while others believed they should just guard the border and not expend unnecessary effort.

Amid various controversies, as of today, there is still no clear stance.